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What is Culture?

Barbara Kaiser, MA

February 26, 2021

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What is culture?

Answer

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, culture is “the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon man's capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations.” It starts and is brought down from generation to generation. Therefore, it includes all the experiences that a child's parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents have had.

Culture is also “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group.” Additionally, it is “the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes a company or corporation.” Even your school or childcare center has a culture. It is important to identify what that culture is when you are working with children because it can reflect the needs and understanding of the children and families that you work with.

“Every individual is rooted in culture”

Many people do not stop and think about their culture and how their heritage might be impacting the way they think, act, and interact. Here are the five sociological criteria of culture that have been identified: 

  • Language
  • Values
  • Traditions
  • Norms
  • Identity

Figure 1 shows a graphic that demonstrates how culture shapes not only our values, but also our gender roles, family structure, how we dress, what we eat, what we believe is proper etiquette, approaches to disabilities, child-rearing practices, and even our expectations for children's behavior.

Graphic of components of culture

Figure 1. Graphic of components of culture.

Cultural Elements

From a positive perspective, this is how culture creates diversity. Here is a list of all the aspects that are a part of culture:

  • Norms
  • Values
  • Rules of Etiquette
  • Social Patterns
  • Gender Roles
  • Socio-economic Status
  • Prejudices
  • Attitude to Weather
  • Religion
  • Customs
  • Timing/Rhythm
  • Political System
  • Economy
  • Family Structure
  • Gestures
  • Language
  • Role of Nature
  • History/Heritage
  • Child Rearing Practices
  • Family Structure
  • Territorial Space
  • Colors
  • Textures/Shapes
  • Spatial
  • Architectural Styles

When you look at this list, does anything stand out? Are you surprised to see how much is impacted by culture?

One aspect of the list I want to point out is gender roles. This is because, in many cultures, it is the male figure that is the disciplinarian of the family. Additionally, many early childhood educators and teachers up until the 5th grade are women. If there is a child who comes from a culture in which that is the case, it is hard for them to take women seriously when they try to guide their behavior. I have often encountered children who have just smiled and laughed because they did not take discipline coming from a woman seriously.

Another point from the list I want to discuss is architectural styles. Have you ever thought about how culturally impacted those are? Even within the United States, the architectural styles in the south are different from those in the northeast. We need to see the connection between culture and the natural elements that people need to live with. It makes a difference and has a definite influence.

This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, Opening the Culture Door: Valuing Diversitypresented by Barbara Kaiser, MA.


barbara kaiser

Barbara Kaiser, MA

Barbara Kaiser is a graduate of McGill University’s Master's Program in Educational Administration and has been working with early childhood educators, children, and their families for over 35 years. She is the co-author of Challenging Behavior in Young Children: Understanding, Preventing and Responding Effectively, 4th Edition (2017), and is presently working on a new text, The Administrator’s Role in Supporting Staff, Children, and Families When Challenging Behavior Occurs, (NAEYC), which is expected to be available early winter 2021. She has taught part-time in the Faculty of Education at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec and Acadia University in Nova Scotia.

In addition to presenting workshops and keynote speeches on the topic of challenging behavior and related issues in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, and Mauritius, Barbara was the chief consultant for Addressing Youth Violence: An Intersectoral, Integrated Approach for Western Nova Scotia, and designed a webinar series and guide to help teachers and administrators reduce and respond to bullying behavior for the Nova Scotia Department of Education. She also helped to develop teacher training video programs focused on managing children’s challenging behavior, Challenging Behaviors: Where do we begin? with Family Communications Inc. and Facing the Challenge, with Devereux Center for Resilient Children, (DCRC). Recently she has been presenting webinars and articles to support teachers, children, and their families when returning to school and childcare after COVID19.


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